Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Cellular phones, beepers, pagers, portable computers, electronic personal attendants, and other wireless communication devices are an integral part of modern life. For instance, cellular phones offer convenience in our personal relationships and business dealings, by allowing us to stay in communication with the world in practically any public location. However, one person""s convenience can be another person""s annoyance.
Often, cellular phones ring and phone conversations occur, in some of the most inappropriate locations. For example, the peaceful enjoyment of a movie, play, or musical performance can be destroyed by the chirping of cellular phones in the audience. The concentration of students taking an exam or listening to a lecture can be broken by a cellular phone""s ringing, or by another student""s engagement in a conversation on a cellular phone. Also, a cellular phone can be disturbing to the public, and embarrassing to the cellular phone""s owner, during church services, dining at a restaurant, or during quite times observed in public, such as opening prays, the pledge of allegiance, and the national anthem.
Often certain locations have restrictions, rules or laws forbidding the operation of cellular phones due to safety concerns. For example, it is illegal to operate wireless communication devices in airports and some train stations because of concerns that important communications controlling the operations of the airplanes and trains will be interrupted or distorted. Also, some schools forbid students to use cellular phones or beepers on school grounds, in order to reduce the likelihood of drug trafficking and gang activity. Further, many commercial and governmental establishments, such as theaters, libraries and courtrooms, restrict the use of cellular phones, beepers, and other types of wireless communication devices in order to avoid disruptions. In these restricted locations, the cellular phone user has discretion to abide by, or ignore, the rules, requests or public etiquette curtailing the use of wireless communication devices.
This invention relates to communications, and specifically to wireless communications.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method which removes the public""s discretion to ignore rules and requests forbidding the use of wireless communication devices in specific locations.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for disabling some or all of the functions of wire communication devices in specific locations, at specific times or continuously.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method, useable by law enforcement and military personnel, to cutoff the communications abilities of persons, such as hijackers, hostage takers, and fleeing suspects, in specific fixed or moving areas.
These and other objects are achieved by an apparatus and method for establishing a disabling zone, wherein one or more capabilities of wireless communication devices inside the zone are disabled. The wireless communication devices may include cellular phones, beepers, pagers, portable computers, electronic personal attendants, and/or similar wireless devices. In a first embodiment, the zone is formed in conjunction with a power monitoring unit proximate the zone. In a second embodiment, the zone is formed in conjunction with a position monitoring system determining the geographical positions of the wireless communication devices. In both the first or second embodiments, the zone may be either geographically fixed or moveable.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.